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Tyre Nichols

 

 

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Tyre Nichols Case Update - March 1, 2023

 

By Steve Mulroy, Shelby County District Attorney

 

Many of you have been contacting us for updates on the Tyre Nichols case. I’m proud of my city for its nonviolent response to the release of the video. That’s due to the graciousness of Tyre’s mother, Mrs. Wells, and also to the swift but thorough action my dedicated staff made in charging those directly responsible for his tragic death. As nationally prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump said on CNN, the way we all handled this tragedy is “a blueprint for the rest of the nation.” 

I’ve gotten numerous emails from Shelby County and around the country calling for justice for Tyre, as well as for comprehensive police reform. We will prosecute those responsible. We will also work with government officials and advocates on reforms that can help to prevent tragedies like this from recurring. That includes, among other things, addressing the use of pretextual stops; greater transparency and recordkeeping of stops; and a reevaluation of the use of specialized units like the SCORPION unit. It also includes support for measures provided for in the George Floyd Act, CLERB reform, and other initiatives.  

Violent Crime

I have also received numerous emails over the past few weeks from citizens concerned about the recent spate of crime in our community. I am reading them, I am paying attention, and I share your outrage and concern. In fact, violent crime has been steadily rising for a decade, making us No. 1 in the country in the last two years.  That's why I ran. I love this town and want to see the crime rates drop so people can feel safe. Many of you have asked how I plan to make the city a better place to live:

  1. I have told my prosecutors to refocus on violent crime and deemphasize things that matter less, like marijuana possession, and being late on fines and fees.
  2. I've issued new guidelines on Nonfatal Shootings. No longer will Aggravated Assaults and the like be dropped for reasons such as "victim uncooperative," or "witness unavailable.”
  3. I've established a Cold Case Unit in partnership with the MPD. We know that a small percentage of repeat violent offenders are responsible for a large percentage of violent crimes.  By solving these Cold Cases, we can keep repeat violent offenders off the streets. 

These are just some of the things our office is doing. I remain open to input from concerned citizens like you.